Bryant 7’s open Regional with a pair of victories

SPANISH FORT, Ala. — The Bryant 7-year-old All-Stars earned two victories on the first day of the Cal Ripken 7-and-under pitching machine Regional Tournament on Friday. They held on for a 6-5 win over the Westside, Ala., All-Stars of Mobile then overwhelmed Petal, Miss., 14-5.

Lloyd, Martin and Robertson each had two hits for Bryant, which scored three runs in the first and three more in the top of the fourth to take a 6-2 lead. They then had to hold off Westside, which trimmed two off the margin in the home fourth and another in the fifth.

With the game on the line in the sixth, Bryant retired Westside 1-2-3.

In the first, Lloyd beat out an infield hit then scored when Martin cracked a triple. Robertson followed suit with his own three-bagger and it was 2-0. He scored on Verdell’s groundout.

Westside got on the board in the bottom of the first then cut the margin to 3-2 in the second.

Despite hits by Summers and McCrary in the second, Bryant could not add on. They were retired in order in the third but, in the fourth, Martin, Robertson and Verdell each singled to make it 4-2. A double by Jackson chased home a run then Verdell scored on McCrary’s grounder to first.

Westside’s two runs in the bottom of the fourth came on a single, a double and another base hit but Bryant forced them to strand two.

A two-base error produced the fifth run for Westside in the home fifth, but they stranded the tying run at third.

Lloyd singled with one out in the top of the sixth, but Bryant was unable to add to the lead. It held, however.

Bryant 14, Petal, Miss. 5

Bryant scored the maximum of six runs in the top of the first and never looked back.

Lloyd, Doggett, Verdell, Brothers and Robertson each had three hits in the romp.

The big first inning started with singles by Summers and Lloyd. Summers scored on a sacrifice fly by Martin then base hits by Robertson, Verdell, Jackson and Brothers followed as the lead grew to 4-0. McCrary doubled in a run then Doggett capped the outburst with an RBI single to right.

In the top of the third, Lloyd and Martin got things started with singles. Robertson doubled them both home to make it 8-0 then Verdell’s single chased home Robertson.

With one out, Brothers doubled in a run and McCrary singled in another as the lead ballooned to 11-0.

Petal was unable to score until the bottom of the fourth when three scored. Only to have Bryant get those three back in the top of the fifth.

Robertson ignited the uprising with a single then Verdell and Jackson each rapped a base hit to load the bases. Though the lead runner was picked off of third, Brothers doubled to make it 12-3. With two away, Doggett’s single made it 14-3.

Petal scored twice on a single, a double and a two-run knock in the bottom of the fifth to set the final score.